Condition after chemotherapy

The condition of a cancer patient after undergoing a course of chemotherapy is quite severe or moderate. Of course, patients with different levels of immunity, with different stages of cancer, as well as with other existing diseases of the body tolerate treatment differently.

But a common symptom is a sharp deterioration in the patient’s health and well-being after undergoing a course of chemotherapy.

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The body after chemotherapy

After a course of chemotherapy, patients experience a sharp decline in all indicators of the body's functioning. First of all, this concerns the state of the hematopoietic system and the blood itself. The blood formula and its composition undergo sharp changes, which are expressed in a drop in the level of its structural elements. As a result, the immunity of patients is greatly reduced, which is expressed in the susceptibility of patients to any infectious diseases.

All internal organs and systems experience the consequences of toxic damage from chemotherapy drugs, which contain poisons that kill rapidly growing cells. This type of cells are malignant, as well as cells of the bone marrow, hair follicles, mucous membranes of various organs. They suffer before all others, which is expressed in a change in the well-being of patients, an exacerbation of various diseases and the appearance of new symptoms, as well as a change in the patient's appearance. The heart and lungs, liver and kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system, skin, and so on are also subject to damage.

Patients after chemotherapy experience allergic reactions, skin rashes and itching, hair loss and baldness.

The peripheral and central nervous systems also suffer, which results in the appearance of polyneuropathy.

At the same time, the appearance of general weakness and increased fatigue, and depressive states are noted.

Immunity after chemotherapy

The state of human immunity is influenced by many factors, including the composition of the blood and the number of different types of leukocytes, including T-lymphocytes. After chemotherapy, the patient's immunity decreases sharply, which is due to a drop in the level of leukocytes responsible for the body's immune response against various infections and pathological agents of internal and external origin.

Therefore, after a course of chemotherapy, patients undergo antibiotic treatment to avoid becoming victims of infectious diseases. This measure, of course, does not contribute to improving the general condition of the patient, which is already reduced by the use of chemotherapy.

The following measures help to improve immunity after the end of treatment:

1. Taking antioxidants – vitamins that stimulate the immune system. These include vitamins C, E, B6, beta-carotene and bioflavonoids.
2. It is necessary to eat a lot of fresh vegetables, fruits, greens and berries, which contain antioxidants - currants, strawberries, bell peppers, lemons and other citrus fruits, raspberries, apples, cabbage, broccoli, unrefined rice, sprouted wheat, parsley, spinach, celery and so on. There are antioxidants in cereals and legumes, in unrefined vegetable oils, especially olive oil.
3. It is necessary to include in preparations rich in selenium, as well as products containing this microelement. This element helps to increase the number of lymphocytes, and also improves the production of interferon and stimulates immune cells to produce more antibodies. Selenium is rich in garlic, seafood, black bread, offal - duck, turkey, chicken, cow and pork liver; beef, pork and veal kidneys. Selenium is found in unrefined rice and corn, wheat and wheat bran, sea salt, coarse flour, mushrooms and onions.
4. Small but regular physical activity helps to boost immunity. These include morning exercises, walks in the fresh air, cycling, swimming in the pool.
5. Chamomile tea is a simple remedy for boosting immunity. A tablespoon of dried chamomile flowers is brewed with a glass of boiling water, cooled and filtered. The minimum amount of chamomile infusion to drink is two to three tablespoons three times a day before meals.
6. Echinacea tincture or Immunal is an excellent remedy for strengthening the immune system. The alcohol tincture should be drunk with a small amount of liquid. The initial dose is considered to be forty drops, and then the tincture is taken in the amount of twenty drops every hour or two. The next day, you can take forty drops of tincture three times a day. The longest course of treatment is eight weeks.

Liver after chemotherapy

The liver is one of the most important organs of the human body, and it performs many different functions. It is known that liver cells are most susceptible to the negative effects of the introduction of chemotherapy drugs of all other organs. This is due to the fact that the liver takes an active part in metabolic processes, as well as the removal of various harmful and toxic substances from the body along with bile and the neutralization of various harmful and toxic substances. It can be said that from the very beginning of chemotherapy, the liver is a conductor of the drug, and after treatment it begins to function in the mode of protecting the body from the toxic effects of drug components.

Many chemotherapy regimens are highly toxic to the liver, with some patients experiencing drug effects that account for up to eighty percent of liver damage.

The liver after chemotherapy can have several degrees of damage, there are four main degrees - mild, moderate, high and severe. The degree of damage to this organ is expressed in the level of change in the biochemical indicators of its functioning.

When the liver is damaged, there is a disruption of metabolic processes in the organ cells, toxic changes in the cell structures, disruption of the blood supply to the liver cells and exacerbation of previously existing liver diseases. In this case, the immune capabilities of this organ are disrupted. Carcinogenesis is also possible - the appearance of tumor processes in the liver.

After chemotherapy, a biochemical blood test is mandatory, the results of which show how damaged the liver is. The level of bilirubin and enzymes in the blood are taken into account. In patients who did not abuse alcohol, did not suffer from hepatitis and did not work in hazardous chemical plants, blood counts may be normal. Sometimes, in patients, biochemical analysis data may worsen three to five times relative to the norm.

Patients can be reassured that the liver is an organ that quickly and successfully regenerates. If, at the same time, an appropriate diet and drug therapy are used, this process can be significantly accelerated and facilitated.

Hepatitis after chemotherapy

Hepatitis is a group of inflammatory liver diseases, which is predominantly viral (infectious) in nature. Hepatitis can also be caused by toxic substances, which are found in excess in cytostatics.

Hepatitis after chemotherapy occurs against the background of liver cell damage. Moreover, the more this organ is damaged, the greater the likelihood of hepatitis. Infections penetrate the weakened liver, which lead to the development of inflammatory processes.

The possibility of developing hepatitis is also associated with a low level of immunity after chemotherapy, which causes poor resistance of the body to infectious diseases.

Symptoms of hepatitis are:

1. The appearance of fatigue and headache.
2. The occurrence of loss of appetite.
3. The appearance of nausea and vomiting.
4. The occurrence of elevated body temperature, up to 38.8 degrees.
5. The appearance of a yellowish tint to the skin.
6. Change in color of the whites of the eyes from white to yellow.
7. The appearance of brown urine.
8. Change in the color of feces - they become colorless.
9. The appearance of sensations in the right hypochondrium in the form of pain and constriction.

In some cases, hepatitis may occur and continue without symptoms.

Hair after chemotherapy

Hair falls out after chemotherapy, and some patients become completely bald. Chemotherapy drugs damage the follicles from which hair grows. Therefore, hair loss can be observed all over the body. This process begins two to three weeks after chemotherapy is called alopecia.

If the oncological processes in the body have slowed down, the patient's immunity increases and his general condition and well-being improve. Good hair growth trends appear. After some time, the follicles become viable, and the hair begins to grow. Moreover, this time they become thicker and healthier.

However, not all chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss. Some anti-cancer drugs only partially deprive the patient of hair. There are drugs that have a targeted effect only on malignant cells and allow the patient's hair to remain intact. In this case, the hair only becomes thin and weakened.

Oncologists recommend shaving your head before undergoing chemotherapy. You can buy a wig to safely appear in public places.

After completing the course, experts recommend using the following recommendations:

1. Use the drug "Sidil". But you should not buy the drug yourself, as it has a number of side effects. It is best to consult a doctor about the use of this drug.
2. Do a daily head massage using burdock oil. Apply oil to the scalp, massage, then put a plastic cap on your head and wrap a towel around it. After an hour, wash off the oil with a mild shampoo. Burdock oil can be replaced with hair growth products containing vitamins and ceramides.

Stomach after chemotherapy

Chemotherapy drugs damage the gastric mucosa, causing patients to experience a number of unpleasant symptoms. Nausea and vomiting, heartburn and acute burning pain in the upper abdomen, flatulence and belching, weakness and dizziness appear. These symptoms are signs of gastritis, that is, inflammatory or dystrophic changes in the gastric mucosa. In this case, there may be a deterioration in the tolerance of certain foods, as well as loss of appetite and weight loss.

To restore proper functioning of the stomach, it is necessary to follow the diet recommended by specialists and take the prescribed medications.

Veins after chemotherapy

The patient's veins experience the effects of toxic drugs after chemotherapy. Early (immediate) complications include the appearance of phlebitis and phlebosclerosis of the veins.

Phlebitis is an inflammatory process of the vein walls, and phlebosclerosis is a degenerative change in the vein walls, in which the vessel walls thicken.

Such manifestations of venous changes are observed in the elbow and shoulder of the patient after repeated administration of chemotherapy drugs - cytostatics and/or antitumor antibiotics.

To avoid such manifestations, it is recommended to administer the above-mentioned drugs into a vein at a slow rate, and also to finish the infusion of the drug by introducing a full syringe of a five percent glucose solution through a needle left in the vessel.

In some patients, chemotherapy drugs have the following side effect on the veins - inflammatory processes begin in them, which lead to the formation of blood clots and the appearance of thrombophlebitis. Such changes primarily affect patients whose circulatory system is prone to the formation of blood clots.

Lymph nodes after chemotherapy

After chemotherapy, some patients may experience inflammation and enlargement of the lymph nodes. This occurs due to the increased sensitivity of the lymph node follicles to the toxic effects of cytostatics.

This happens for a number of reasons:

1. Due to damage to lymph node cells.
2. Due to the decrease in the number of blood elements (leukocytes and lymphocytes), which are responsible for the body's immune response.
3. Due to the body's reaction to the penetration of infection into the body.

Kidneys after chemotherapy

During chemotherapy, kidney damage occurs, which is called nephrotoxicity. This consequence of treatment manifests itself in necrosis of kidney tissue cells, which is the result of accumulation of the drug in the parenchyma tubules. First of all, damage to the tubular epithelium is observed, but then the intoxication processes can penetrate deeper - into the glomerular tissue.

A similar complication after chemotherapy has another name: tubulointerstitial nephritis. In this case, this disease can develop in an acute form, but then, after long-term treatment, it can become chronic.

Kidney damage, as well as renal failure, affects the development of long-term anemia, which appears (or worsens) due to a disruption in the production of renal erythropoietin.

After chemotherapy, there is a varying degree of renal failure, which can be determined by laboratory tests of blood and urine. The degree of this dysfunction is affected by the level of creatine or residual nitrogen in the blood, as well as the amount of protein and red blood cells in the urine.

Feeling after chemotherapy

After chemotherapy, patients experience a sharp deterioration in their health. Severe weakness, increased fatigue and tiredness appear. The patient's psycho-emotional state changes for the worse, depression may be observed.

Patients complain of constant nausea and vomiting, heaviness in the stomach and burning in the epigastric region. Some patients experience swelling of the hands, face and legs. Some patients feel a strong heaviness and dull pain in the right side in the liver area. Painful sensations can also be observed throughout the abdomen, as well as in the joints and bones.

Numbness of the arms and legs is observed, as well as a loss of coordination during movement and changes in tendon reflexes.

After chemotherapy, bleeding of the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and stomach increases sharply. Patients experience manifestations of stomatitis, which are expressed in severe dryness and pain in the oral cavity.

Consequences after chemotherapy

After undergoing a course of chemotherapy, patients begin to feel various consequences of the treatment. Patients experience a deterioration in their health, general weakness, lethargy and increased fatigue. Loss of appetite and a change in the taste of food and dishes appear, diarrhea or constipation occurs, severe anemia is detected, patients begin to worry about nausea and even vomiting. The patient may be bothered by oral mucositis (sore mouth and throat) and stomatitis, as well as various bleedings.

The patient's appearance also changes. Hair usually falls out after chemotherapy. The appearance and structure of the skin changes - it becomes dry and painful, and the nails - very brittle. Severe swelling appears, especially of the extremities - arms and legs.

The patient's mental and emotional processes also suffer: memory and concentration deteriorate, periods of clouding of consciousness are observed, difficulties with the thinking process appear, the patient's general emotional state is destabilized, and depressive states are observed.

The peripheral nervous system is also strongly affected by the drugs. Numbness, tingling, burning or weakness are felt in various parts of the body. Such transformations primarily affect the patient's arms and legs. Pain in the legs and the entire body may occur when walking. Loss of balance and falls, dizziness, cramps and muscle twitching, difficulty holding objects in the hands or lifting them are possible. The muscles constantly feel tired or sore. Hearing acuity is reduced.

Chemotherapy has a negative effect on sexual desire and on the deterioration of the patient's reproductive functions. There is a disorder of urination, the occurrence of pain or burning, as well as a change in the color, smell and composition of urine.

Complications after chemotherapy

Complications after chemotherapy are associated with general intoxication of the body through the use of drugs. There are local and general complications, as well as early (immediate) and late (remote) consequences of chemotherapy.

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Post-chemotherapy examination

Post-chemotherapy screening is done for two purposes:

1. To determine the success of the treatment.
2. To determine the extent of damage to the patient’s body by the toxic effects of drugs and prescribe appropriate symptomatic treatment.

The examination procedure includes a laboratory study of blood tests: general, biochemical and leukocyte formula. It is also necessary to take a urine test to detect protein levels.

Additional testing after chemotherapy may include ultrasound and X-rays.

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Tests after chemotherapy

During the chemotherapy course, patients undergo tests at least twice a week. This concerns, first of all, blood tests and their examination. This measure is due to the need to monitor the patient's condition during chemotherapy. If the test results are satisfactory, the course of treatment can be continued, and if they are bad, the doses of drugs can be reduced or the treatment can be stopped altogether.

After chemotherapy, patients also undergo tests aimed at monitoring the patient's condition after chemotherapy. First of all, a general blood test, a biochemical blood test and a leukocyte formula are performed. This group of tests allows us to record the level of damage to the body after chemotherapy, namely vital organs and systems, and take appropriate measures to normalize the patient's condition.

The general change after chemotherapy is a change in all blood indices. The level of leukocytes, erythrocytes and platelets decreases. The level of ALT and AST increases, as does the amount of bilirubin, urea and creatine. The level of total protein in the blood decreases, the amount of cholesterol, triglycerides, amylase, lipase and GGT changes.

Such changes in blood composition indicate damage to all organs and systems of varying severity after a course of chemotherapy.

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What to do after chemotherapy?

Many patients who have undergone a course of treatment with cytostatics begin to ask the question: “What should I do with my health after chemotherapy?”

First of all, it is necessary to determine what symptoms bother the patient after the completion of chemotherapy. They must be reported to the specialists who monitor the patient's condition after chemotherapy. The attending physician, having become familiar with certain symptoms, can refer the patient to a more specialized specialist for consultation and prescription of appropriate treatment.

Specialists with a narrower profile may prescribe certain medications as symptomatic treatment, as well as vitamin and mineral complexes and immune-supporting therapy.

Along with alleviating the patient's condition with medications, it is necessary to set a goal of restoring the functions of damaged organs and systems. First of all, this concerns the function of hematopoiesis, the immune system, the work of the digestive system of the stomach, intestines, liver, and kidney function. It is very important to restore the microflora in the intestine, thereby stopping the course of dysbacteriosis. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to the elimination of symptoms of general intoxication of the body, as well as weakness, depressive states, pain, swelling and loss of appetite.

Restorative therapy methods include:

• Transition to a healthy diet that includes a full range of foods that are beneficial for the body.
• Moderate physical activity – walking in the fresh air, morning exercises.
• Using massages, physical therapy, etc. to improve health.
• Using traditional medicine and herbal medicine to restore the body.
• Application of psychotherapeutic methods to improve the psycho-emotional state of the patient.

Treatment after chemotherapy

Treatment after chemotherapy is based on the occurrence of the most disturbing symptoms in patients. The choice of therapy method, as well as the appropriate drug treatment, can only be made after the results of laboratory blood tests and, if necessary, other tests.

The means that improve the patient's condition after a course of chemotherapy include:

1. Changing the patient's diet and following a certain diet.
2. Being in a state of rest, the opportunity to restore strength.
3. Walks in the fresh air, feasible physical activity, for example, therapeutic exercises.
4. Receiving positive emotions and positive impressions from others, working with a psychologist.
5. Certain physical therapy procedures.
6. Drug treatment of side effects.
7. Use of traditional medicine.
8. Sanatorium and resort treatment.

Pregnancy after chemotherapy

Pregnancy after chemotherapy is considered a controversial issue. If chemotherapy is accompanied by drug protection of the ovaries, then this increases the woman's chances of becoming a mother in the future. But many patients remain infertile, even despite intensive treatment for this problem. This happens because after each course of chemotherapy, the chances of pregnancy decrease several times.

The toxic effect of the drugs affects the ovaries and inhibits their functioning. Such an effect is felt more clearly, the closer the area of chemotherapy is to the ovaries.

During chemotherapy, two methods of surgical protection of the ovaries can be used:

1. Displacement of the ovaries from the area of action of the drugs.
2. With general chemotherapy, the ovaries may be removed from the body and preserved until the woman is healthy. After that, the ovaries are returned to their original place.

Experts recommend starting pregnancy planning no less than a year after the end of chemotherapy. This is due to the need for the woman's body to recover from intoxication and remove toxic substances. Otherwise, if the conception deadlines are not met, irreversible changes may occur in the fetus during the intrauterine period and the child may be born with health and developmental disabilities.

Sex after chemotherapy

Sex after chemotherapy is a rather difficult act. This is caused, first of all, by the deterioration of the general health and well-being of patients. Hormonal changes lead to a decrease in the strength of sexual desire, and in many cases, its temporary absence.

Women may experience changes in the vaginal microflora, which is expressed in the appearance of thrush, which is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms. In this case, sexual intercourse will cause discomfort and pain, which negatively affects the desire to have sex.

As a result of chemotherapy, men experience difficulties in achieving and maintaining an erection, and also develop anorgasmia – the absence of orgasms.

Even though many women do not have periods after chemotherapy, contraception should be used when having sex. There is always a risk of getting pregnant, which would be undesirable immediately after chemotherapy.

In men, toxic products of chemotherapy drugs penetrate into sperm and can affect conception and the birth of a child with developmental abnormalities that will have congenital defects.

Periods after chemotherapy

The toxic effect of chemotherapy drugs suppresses the activity of the ovaries. This manifests itself in the disruption of the menstrual cycle, the emergence of its instability. Some patients may experience a complete cessation of menstruation. This leads to the appearance of temporary infertility in women.

In order to restore reproductive functions after chemotherapy, the patient must undergo appropriate hormonal treatment so that menstruation can return. In some cases, the body never restores its reproductive functions, which means early entry into menopause (climax) and a complete absence of menstruation forever.

Life expectancy after chemotherapy

It is impossible to accurately predict how long a patient will live after undergoing chemotherapy. Such assumptions depend on many factors, including:

• Stage of the oncological process.

At the first and second stages of the disease, complete recovery of the body after chemotherapy and absence of relapses of the disease are possible. At the same time, patients can lead a full life for twenty or thirty years after the end of treatment.

The third and fourth stages of cancer do not give a bright prognosis: after chemotherapy, patients in this case can live from one to five years.

• The degree of damage to the body after chemotherapy.

The consequences of the treatment undergone are of varying severity for all patients. Complications range from zero to fifth degree of toxic damage to the patient's body.

In mild to moderate cases, patients can recover sufficiently to continue living a full life for a long time. Of course, it is necessary to radically change your lifestyle, making it healthy from physical and psychological aspects.

Severe degrees of damage to the body can cause serious consequences for the patient's health. In this case, death can occur shortly after chemotherapy, as well as within one year after treatment.

• Changing the patient's lifestyle.

Those patients who really intend to live long, start to take care of their health. They change their diet towards healthy and wholesome food, change their place of residence to more ecologically friendly areas, start to do physical activity, resort to methods of strengthening the immune system and hardening. Bad habits - alcohol, smoking and others are also subject to ostracism. Those who want to lead a full life can resort to changing their professional activity and place of work, if this greatly affects the patient's quality of life. All the above measures can lead not only to an increase in life expectancy after chemotherapy to ten - twenty - thirty years, but also to a complete elimination of the signs of the disease.

• The patient's psychological attitude towards recovery is very important. It has been noted that those patients who are truly prepared for a full life after undergoing chemotherapy live a long time without experiencing relapses of the disease. The psychological attitude towards recovery is very important for the patient's life expectancy. After all, it is not for nothing that many diseases, including oncological ones, are considered to have a psychosomatic nature.
• A huge role is played by changing the psychological environment in the patient's place of residence and work. It is known that negative emotions are one of the main causes of somatic diseases, including oncological ones. Immune and recovery processes in the body are directly related to the patient's mental state. Therefore, being in an atmosphere of positive emotions, support, participation and attention is one of the factors increasing the duration after chemotherapy. It is important to change the atmosphere at home and at work of the patient in such a way that it has a positive effect on his condition.

It is also important to enjoy life and have bright, pleasant experiences. Therefore, it is necessary to think about such activities and hobbies for the patient that would give patients pleasure and fill their lives with meaning.

Disability after chemotherapy

Disability after chemotherapy is issued in the event of an uncertain prognosis for the patient's condition. In this case, the high risk of relapse is of great importance, for example, the possibility of metastases.

If no further radiation therapy or chemotherapy is prescribed after surgical treatment, this means that the patient's prognosis for recovery is high. At the same time, there are no complications that lead to persistent disruptions in the functioning of the body and limit the patient's life. In this case, disability is not issued due to the lack of grounds.

If the patient needs to undergo severe treatment for a long period, he may be assigned the second group of disability for a period of one year. Chemotherapy can be of varying severity, this affects the disability group, which can be the third.

It should be noted that disability is not assigned immediately after the surgical intervention, but after three to four months from the initial moment of treatment and longer. This applies to working patients, pensioners, and the non-working category of patients. Registration of disability cannot be longer than four months after chemotherapy treatment of the disease.

In this case, the patient undergoes a medical commission, which issues a conclusion on the obvious unfavorable clinical and labor prognosis for the patient. This does not depend on the duration of the patient's temporary disability, but must be done no later than four months from its onset. Only citizens who have permanent limitations in life and work capacity and who require social protection are sent to undergo the commission.

The patient's condition after chemotherapy is a determining factor for taking further steps to improve health, enhance quality of life and socially protect the patient's rights.

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